The daily An-Nahar on Wednesday cited an official report as saying that the mishap came in the aftermath of a quarrel with a young man from Shiyah who was beaten up by a group of guys near Sannine Roaster in Ain el-Rummaneh.

The argument quickly developed after dozens of knife-yielding young men from Shiyah rode their bikes to the quarrel scene in the adjacent Ain el-Rummaneh neighborhood, attacking a crowd of men.

State-run National News Agency said the victim, George Abu Madi, 30, had nothing to do with the mishap.

It identified the wounded as Moussa Abdel Ahad, George Mansour, Mazen Mitri, Salim Boulos and Jean Habr.

An army spokesman told AFP that the violence late on Tuesday pitted youths from the mainly Shiite district of Shiyah against residents of the nearby Christian area of Ain el-Rummaneh.

"Young men on scooters came from Shiyah and began circling near a restaurant in Ain el-Rummaneh," the spokesman said. "A heated exchange with local residents ensued and knives were used leaving one dead and four injured, all from Ain el-Rummaneh."

The Lebanese army dispatched troops to the area and arrested four suspects. One of them was identified as Hussein Merhi.

The incident took place in an area that was the first line of demarcation during the 1975-1990 civil war.

Ain el-Rummaneh residents called for a shutdown Wednesday to coincide with the funeral of George Abu Madi.

The mishap drew reactions from political quarters and prompted a visit by a delegation from the March 14 coalition to Army Commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji.

The mishap drew reactions from political quarters and prompted a significant political involvement where a delegation from the March 14 coalition visited at daybreak Wednesday Army Commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji.

A statement issued later by March 14 said the delegation stressed the need for taking immediate steps to "arrest the murderers and perpetrators who attacked a safe neighborhood in Ain el-Rummaneh."

Phalange politburo member Sassine Sassine, who was among the March 14 delegation members told VDL Wednesday that Qahwaji confirmed that the military was keeping equal distance from everybody.

Sassine also quoted Qahwaji as saying that the army is "doing everything necessary to reassure Ain el-Rummaneh residents, and take necessary measures to arrest the attackers and prevent the recurrence of such incidents."

Phalange party MP Sami Gemayel condemned the attack and questioned "why Lebanese troops are not deployed 24/7 at the Sannine intersection, given the significance of that junction."